Mike McDaniel has received an unwanted distinction ahead of the upcoming NFL season.
SportsBetting.ag has listed betting odds for which NFL head coach will be the first one fired this season. They have McDaniel at the top of the list at 2/1 odds. Behind him is Brian Daboll at 4/1, and then Shane Steichen at 7/1. Dave Canales (Panthers) and Kevin Stefanski (Browns) are both right behind Steichen at 15/2 odds. Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is at 8/1 and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is at 9/1. The rest of the coaches in the top 10 have somewhat lower odds at closer to 20/1.
Mike McDaniel (MIA) 2/1
Brian Daboll (NYG) 4/1
Shane Steichen (IND) 7/1
Dave Canales (CAR) 15/2
Kevin Stefanski (CLE) 15/2
Jonathan Gannon (ARI) 8/1
Zac Taylor (CIN) 9/1
Brian Callahan (TEN) 18/1
Raheem Morris (ATL) 18/1
Todd Bowles (TB) 20/1
Why does McDaniel have the lowest odds to be the first coach fired? He is entering his fourth season with Miami, and the team went 8-9 last season. They finished below their expectations, so the pressure is on for McDaniel to have a good start.
So much of the Dolphins getting off to a good start will depend upon the health of Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins have gone 38-24 in games which Tua has started. They are 9-13 in games he has not started. They are a playoff team if Tagovailoa can stay healthy, but they not only will likely miss the playoffs, but they may need a new coach if he gets hurt again. It also doesn’t McDaniel that one of the team’s best players has angled for a trade.
If there is one thing working in McDaniel’s favor with this situation, it’s that the Carolina Panthers are still around, and nobody is quicker to fire a coach than their owner. That’s why Dave Canales is listed with fairly high odds.